CSotD: Justice Denied

Well, of course it was!

Though Ann Telnaes could have run this cartoon just about anytime in the past decade or seven, because nothing at all has ever been Donald Trump’s fault and the system has always been rigged against him.

On the other hand, in this picture he’s surrounded by more sheep than ever before and so it’s reasonable, given both the specific timing and the size of the flock, to assume Telnaes is mocking him over his whining about his obvious conviction on an obvious set of charges.

Eric Allie (Counterpoint) explains the MAGAt point of view, which is that prosecuting someone they like shows a perversion, and, in fact, the destruction, of the justice system.

It’s not a particularly sound argument for not prosecuting Trump, but it’s an excellent argument against our not having prosecuted Jefferson Davis and Richard Nixon.

John Tyler and Warren Harding managed to die before they could face charges for their behavior, but Davis and Nixon were let off the hook on the optimistic theory that everyone felt properly chastised and their convictions would accomplish nothing more than further dividing the nation.

In the case of Nixon, there were so many further investigations and corrective laws that it seemed reasonable to agree with Ford’s pardon, though we didn’t know how many of those laws would be overturned in time to facilitate the Reagan Revolution.

Similarly, we passed corrective legislation following the Civil War, though it didn’t last even as long as the post-Watergate, post-Church-Committee legislation. Reconstruction wasn’t nearly as futile as it has been portrayed, but it was quite futile enough, thank you.

Despite Rep. Byron Donald (R-FL)’s remarks against civil rights and in favor of Jim Crow as part of Massa Donald’s attempt to reach out to the Black community.

Which is particularly relevant because, while both Nixon and Davis withdrew to lick their wounds in relative obscurity, Trump not only predicted that a conviction, and certainly a jailing, would rally his followers into active revolution but, as Cathy Wilcox points out, he has actively stirred the pot to make it happen.

I would need to reread Helter Skelter, Vincent Bugliosi’s book about the Manson murders and trials, to see how much Charlie orchestrated the presence of his wimminfolk outside the court.

Not that anybody ever suggested letting Charlie off the hook in order to avoid upsetting his followers, but it’s worth finding out how much of their actions were spontaneous and how many were directed by their own Dear Leader, in the interests of avoiding another Squeaky Fromme incident.

Juxtaposition of the Toms

This Modern World

Tom the Dancing Bug

Tom Tomorrow explains the situation with a parody of the reasoning behind the effort to destroy faith in the American justice system, which combines the powerful and effective combination of sophism with an appeal to ignorant paranoia, while Tom the Dancing Bug goes inside the convoluted personal maze of Mar-a-Lago to mock the toxic level of narcissism that allows Dear Leader to operate in pure sociopathic innocence.

It will be interesting, assuming the nation at some point digs out of this festering trough, for historians to explore the question of what the GOP knew and when they knew it, as well as how much Trump’s outrageous statements and behaviors were planned and how many were a product of his mania.

But that is history’s task. At the moment, we’re in the position the Samuel Johnson famously outlined:

If a madman were to come into this room with a stick in his hand, no doubt we should pity the state of his mind; but our primary consideration would be to take care of ourselves. We should knock him down first, and pity him afterwards.

It seems, as Walt Handelsman points out, that we’ve already lost the battle to make Justice appear rational, given that the MAGAts are convinced that Trump faced a political show trial but that Hunter Biden deserves to be tried and convicted under the same justice system.

I blame professional wrestling, and remind everyone that Donald Trump is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Let’s start by pointing out that you would have to be an absolute moron to believe any of this was real:

Then let’s follow up by pointing out that a great many morons believe it is real. If they can be convinced that this obvious, ridiculous sham is real, there is almost nothing so foolish that they cannot also be induced to believe it.

Perhaps instead of reading Helter Skelter in an attempt to find out what in the hell is going on, we should all read Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America:

Trump’s experiences as a performer in McMahon’s programming were, in many ways, a dress rehearsal for the 45th President’s campaigns and presidency.

If that makes you laugh, you don’t get it. Yes, they are gullible. They can be led by the nose. They believe in a childish world of overstuffed, evil villains and posturing, chest-beating heroes.

But that’s not funny.

They vote.

Andy Marlette (Creators) has some fun with it, but his ridiculous cartoon is dead on: The self-described Christians who follow Dear Leader are not seeking spiritual truth but rather are looking for a way to believe in things which not only contradict the New Testament but don’t even line up with each other.

John Darkow reminds us that the GOP and its MAGAt followers never bothered to ask about the clumsy “Defund the Police” slogan that meant to shift efforts from enforcement to prevention.

Not only did they reject it without attempting to understand it, but they’re now supporting nearly the same anarchism they assumed reformers were advancing.

Except that they like the police, as long as they are harassing, beating and shooting the villains and not the heroes.

It’s when their heroes have to face the law that they declare the justice system corrupt.

Nick Anderson (Tribune) mocks their double-standard, pointing out the foolishness to which they are addicted, but here’s an easier take:

How many MAGA gunowners are dope smokers or pain-pill addicts and lied about it on the same form Hunter filled out?

If they’re honest and patriotic, they’ll be turning themselves in!

But we’d better vote anyway, just in case.

Anyway, I prefer this head-shaver …